April 1, 2009
Allard Beutel
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
allard.beutel@nasa.gov
John Yembrick
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov
James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
james.a.hartsfield@nasa.gov
Ed Campion
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-0697
edward.s.campion@nasa.gov
MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-054
NASA SETS BRIEFINGS FOR UPCOMING SHUTTLE MISSION TO HUBBLE
HOUSTON -- NASA will hold briefings Thursday, April 23, to update
reporters about the space shuttle's fifth and final servicing mission
to the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA Television and the agency's Web
site will provide live coverage of the briefings from NASA's Johnson
Space Center in Houston and from NASA Headquarters in Washington.
Questions also will be taken from other participating NASA locations.
Shuttle Atlantis' 11-day flight, designated STS-125, is targeted for
launch May 12 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will
include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade the telescope with
state-of-the-art science instruments. As a result, Hubble's
capabilities will be expanded and its operational lifespan extended
through at least 2014.
U.S. journalists planning to attend the briefings at Johnson must
contact the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 by April 21 to arrange
for credentials. All reporters who are foreign nationals must contact
Johnson by April 6.
Scott Altman will command Atlantis' crew, which includes Pilot Gregory
C. Johnson and Mission Specialists Andrew Feustel, Michael Good, John
Grunsfeld, Megan McArthur and Mike Massimino. The spacewalkers are
Good, Grunsfeld, Feustel and Massimino. McArthur is the flight
engineer and lead for robotic arm operations.
The briefings will include a crew news conference, but the crew will
not be available for round-robin interviews.
The schedule of activities is (times CDT):
7 a.m. -- Video B-roll feed from Johnson Space Center
8 a.m. -- Shuttle Program overview briefing from Johnson
9:30 a.m. -- Hubble Program and science overview from NASA
Headquarters
11 a.m. -- NASA TV Video File
2 p.m. -- STS-125 crew news conference from Johnson
Altman and Grunsfeld will be available for satellite interviews on
NASA TV from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. To arrange an interview via
satellite, contact the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than
April 21.
For NASA TV streaming video, schedules and downlink information,
visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For the latest information about the STS-125 mission and its crew,
visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
For more information about the Hubble Space Telescope, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/hubble
-end-